-LRB- CNN -RRB- Private spaceflight company SpaceX scrubbed a scheduled rocket launch Tuesday , in which it planned to attempt the pioneering step of landing the rocket 's first stage on a floating platform .

The next possible launch attempt is at 5:09 a.m. ET Friday , NASA said via Twitter , `` pending resolution of the issue . ''

NASA and SpaceX said the problem was with the Falcon 9 rocket 's second stage , rather than the section it plans to try to land .

`` During the terminal count engineers observed drift on one of the two thrust vector actuators on the second stage that would likely have caused an automatic abort . Engineers called a hold in order to take a closer look , '' said John Taylor , of SpaceX communications .

The thrust vector control actuators are used to steer the rocket in flight . The second stage of the rocket delivers the payload -- in this case , supplies for the International Space Station -- to the desired orbit .

SpaceX 's attempt to land the Falcon 9 rocket 's first stage has been the chief focus of interest ahead of its latest resupply mission .

Recycling rockets

Traditionally , rockets have been designed to fall back to Earth after separating from the spacecraft they lifted , and then burn up on re-entry or crash into the ocean . The millions of dollars that go into the production of the rockets burn , too .

SpaceX wants to pioneer a reusable rocket , a development that could change the economics of space travel .

`` A fully and rapidly reusable rocket -- which has never been done before -- is the pivotal breakthrough needed to substantially reduce the cost of space access , '' SpaceX said in a statement .

The company has twice attempted soft landings of the Falcon 9 's first stage on water . Those tests showed that the rocket is capable of reducing its speed from hypersonic to nearly zero , and deploy landing legs .

In those tests , the rocket tipped sideways and crashed into the ocean , causing damage that made the rocket unusable . That was according to plan , SpaceX said .

Landing on a moving target

When the launch happens , the company will try the same soft landing for the Falcon 9 's first stage , but this time on a custom-built floating platform it calls the autonomous spaceport drone ship .

Landing on the platform `` is significantly more challenging '' than the water landings , the company said .

For one , the platform is not anchored , and while it looks large from the ground , it is a rather small target for the 14-story-tall rocket .

SpaceX described reentry and landing as `` trying to balance a rubber broomstick on your hand in the middle of a wind storm . ''

The company puts the odds of success at 50 % at best . It adds , however , that this is just the first of a number of tests toward the goal of landing a rocket stage for reuse .

As for the target , `` X '' marks the spot : The company will try to land the rocket stage on the SpaceX logo painted on the center of the floating platform .

Keith Smith , of Britain 's Royal Astronomical Society , told CNN the reason for using the platform -- despite the complications of landing on a moving target -- was that it should prevent any properties on Earth being damaged if the landing goes wrong .

It 's not unusual for a launch to be aborted , he said , since there are so many elements at play . `` The payload on this is so expensive to launch that you do n't want to risk anything about it , '' he said .

The timing of the next launch attempt will depend on how serious the problem is , he said .

CNN 's Rachel Crane contributed to this report .

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Problem is with a thrust vector actuator on the second stage , Space X says

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SpaceX 's scheduled launch Tuesday is aborted ; next possible attempt is Friday

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In a first , the company plans to try to land the rocket 's first stage